Dreaming Wide Awake
by KS Claw
Summary: Kozmotis Pitchiner is retired from the military, and now he just wants to spend the time he can with his teenaged daughter, while making a living as the occasional local handyman. But things start to get strange. Kozmotis has strange dreams about black horses, of a woman who may or may not be his daughter, and a strange feeling that things in reality are not quite as they should be
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Based on a prompt on the RoTG Kinkmeme

**Full summary:**

_Kozmotis Pitchiner is retired from the military, and now he just wants to spend the time he can with his teenaged daughter, while making a living as the occasional local handyman, and a bestseller author on books about military history. At the same time, he has his more eccentric neighbors to deal with, teenaged boys flirting with his daughter, and a lovely teashop owner and her sisters._

_But things start to get strange. Kozmotis has strange dreams about black horses, of a woman who may or may not be his daughter, and a strange feeling that things in reality are not quite as they should be._

* * *

Prologue

_We are such stuff_  
_As dreams are made on, and our little life _  
_Is rounded with a sleep._  
~The Tempest (4.1.168-170)

He dreams of wild horses, black as the night with pelts that seem to shimmer like star dust in the right light, while their eyes glow gold like lanterns.

Their bodies seem ethereal, their manes like wisps of smoke, but they are solid and the massive creatures that bite and kick, rearing above him as they scream, their shrieks echoing through the dark as their hooves flail. He tries to cry out himself, covering himself protectively with his arms, but he knows it is a hopeless task somehow...

Something startles the horses, something that makes them tear off, shrieking as they do so and leaving him alone on the ground. He is bleeding and gasping, his breath coming off as wet and rattling in his chest, and every part of his body feels as if it is on fire. _'How strange,'_ a part of him thinks. _'You shouldn't be able to feel pain in your dreams.'_

She emerges out of the shadows, tall and strong and proud, clad in flowing emerald, her hair long and wild like a mass of storm clouds. With her is a small and round figure, and he somehow knows that this is the reason that the horses fled.

Her storm grey eyes narrow harshly as they look at the smaller figure, her expression one of cold anger.

"This is what you have reduced him to," she says coldly, her voice sounding like the far away rumble of thunder. "You know what you have to do, to make up for your mistakes."

The smaller figure seems to try to object, but she will hear none of it.

"You **OWE **me, Mansnoozie!" She snarls, her teeth bared like fangs. The golden figure seems to slump in defeat.

With a curt nod, she kneels down and moves to pick him up, her grip amazingly gentle as she straightens up. He hisses in pain, as the move jars a broken rib, and she adjusts her grip so that he rests comfortably in her arms.

"Dream." She tells him gently, her voice now soft and soothing, like a summer breeze through the trees. "And when you wake, I will be with you."

The golden figure seems to sigh, but he can't figure out if it is from defeat or annoyance. The figure tosses a solid handful of golden dust in his direction, and he feels as if it invades every part of him, every sense, every bit of visible skin... his body feels heavy, and he senses himself slump in her embrace, sinking into a soft, warm darkness...

_"The day the squirrel went buzzerk in the _  
_First Self-Righteous Church in that sleepy little _  
_Town of Pascagoula. It was a fight for survival _  
_That broke out in revival. They were jumpin' pews_  
_And shoutin' "Hallelujah!"~"_

"_And Hallelujah and __**gooood**__ morning to all you wonderful listeners in Burgess, from all of us here at __**Good Morning Burgess!**__ That was Ray Stevens with T__**he Mississippi Squirrel Revival**__, and if that squirrel didn't wake you up then don't fret! We got ourselves plenty of more music to wake you up on this __**beautiful**__ Saturday morning! But first the weather-"_

The radio was silenced with a sharp _snap_, as Kozmotis Pitchiner smacked his hand down on top of it, muttering a string of curses to himself as he rolled over to turn his back to said radio. He was so certain that he had turned off the damn machinery, since he had planned on sleeping in this morning. Bah, he had probably left it on out of sheer habit; When you had been in the military long enough, some habits were hard to break, even though a couple of years of retirement had allowed him to at least get rid of the habit of jumping straight out of bed when it wasn't necessary, like on a Saturday morning.

_'I really should write them down in that dream journal, like Sanderson suggested.'_ Kozmotis thought idly to himself. _'Before I forget it or something...'_ But the bed was so very comfortable, and it wasn't as if it had been very important. Even now, as he was slowly dozing off again, he could only remember vaguely that there had been something with horses, and something green...

"Papa, it's time to get up!" A voice called at sudden, breaking into the sleepy haze of his mind. Kozmotis groaned, pulling the blanket over his head. While it muffled the sounds of the outside world, he could still hear his daughter give an exasperated snort of amusement.

"I thought you military people were all about getting up, the moment your alarm went off." She chuckled.

"Not when 'us military people' are _retired._" Her father grumbled from under the blankets. "And especially not when it's _Saturday!_"

Seraphina let out a snort of amusement, before she could be heard walking over to the bed, and sitting down on the edge of it. "Come on, sleepy head." She said. "Did you forget, that you promised to meet Miss Haroom later today?"

Kozmotis grumbled something, but sighed before he sat up. She was right, of course. He had promised Miss Toothiana Haroom just yesterday, that he would come by and help at the tea shop, because they needed to get some new shelves put up.

"Alright, alright." He sighed, "I'm up." Seraphina just chuckled, before she gave him a light peck on the forehead.

"I'll put some bread in the toaster." She said, before she got up and walked out of the room. Kozmotis just shook his head and took a moment to stretch out, before he climbed out of bed and headed for the bathroom to get himself washed and shaved. It wouldn't do if he looked like some kind of hairy barbarian when he showed up at the tea shop.


	2. Chapter 2

Miss Toothiana and her six sisters ran a little teashop, that they had taken over after the death of their parents. As the oldest, Toothiana was in charge, and she ran the shop so that while it was all very professional, the shop was at the same time a place where everyone felt welcome, and almost as part of a big family, no matter who they were or where they came from. At least, that was the impression Kozmotis got when he first met Toothiana, when he and his daughter had moved to Burgess only three years ago.

"Good morning, Mr. Pitchiner!" One of the sisters greeted Kozmotis, as he arrived at the shop. "Tooth is in the back. Shall I go get her?"

"No thank you, I'll find my way there myself." Kozmotis said with a friendly smile, before he headed for the pearly curtained doorway that would lead to the back of the shop. A small form burst through the doorway without warning, and slammed into Kozmotis, causing him to let out a hard 'oof!' before stumbling back.

"Lakhi!" The sister exclaimed in a hard tone. "What have we told you about running through the shop!?" She quickly gave Kozmotis an apologetic look, "I am so sorry Mr. Pitchiner."

"It's quite alright, I was more surprised than hurt." Kozmotis assured her, before smiling down at the little girl who had run into him. "Hello there, Baby Tooth."

The little Indian girl glowered, before she stuck out her tongue at him. "Only my friends can call me that!" She exclaimed, before she quickly took off running. Her older sister let out an angry gasp, and shouted something in Hindi after her about coming back this instant to apologize.

Kozmotis just shook his head with a small smile. "Don't worry about it, I have to get on her good side at some point." He chuckled, before he with a small wave continued on his way to the back.

Toothiana was sitting on the floor amidst wooden boards and small bags of nails and screws, frowning as she looked over what looked like an instruction manual. When she saw Kozmotis, her face brightened in a wide smile, before she got to her feet. "Good morning, Kozmotis!" She exclaimed, "I'm so glad that you could come." She shook her head woefully, holding up the instructions, before gesturing at the mess. "This is supposed to become a new storage shelf that I'm going to put in the teashop, but I can't figure out heads or tails of this!"

"Well, my dear lady, I shall do my best to see if I can be of any assistance." Kozmotis chuckled, before he accepted the papers, and began to look them over.

He could understand her confusion the moment he began to look over the instructions.

"Uhh Tooth? Did you by any chance order this stuff through an international website? Because these instructions are in a language I can't understand at all."

"I think they're supposed to be Finnish." Tooth replied, before giving a frustrated huff. "So I thought I would try and just go by the drawings."

"Ah. Well, let's start over from the beginning." Kozmotis flipped the manual over, making certain he was starting over from the beginning. "It shouldn't be too hard to figure out. Let's start from the beginning, by making sure we got everything we need."

"That shouldn't be a problem?" Tooth looked down at the bags. "I mean, I haven't opened any of the bags, but it looks pretty organized."

"Ah, but there's the trick." The other said. "It can _look_ organized, but that doesn't mean it is. Let's open the bags and count up the different things. If we're missing something, then I've brought extra in my toolbox."

Tooth chuckled at that. "See, this is why I ask you for help, Kozmotis." She said warmly. "You're always so prepared with this kind of thing."

"Just doing my job." Kozmotis replied with a wink.

It was a good thing that Kozmotis had agreed to come in early, because the sorting of the different screws and bolts took at least an hour, not including the time Tooth took to quickly get some extra bags they could sort them into, and thereby keep things separated. When they finally got started, the best Tooth could do, was to help with trying to decipher the manual and to hold things in place while Kozmotis worked with his tools, which changed between an ordinary screwdriver, and an electric one.

By the time lunch came around, they had gotten the basic parts in place. For now, the whole thing looked like an oblong brown box with lots of holes in it.

"It's going to look great when it's done." Tooth said with a smile, as she and Kozmotis took a break in the kitchen. "Nicholas said he'd bring some panels for it, that can be put on as well, so that it doesn't look too boring. Other than that, I'm going to have it painted." She pondered for a moment at that. "Do you think Seraphina would help with that? She's got such a wonderful talent for painting."

"I'm sure she'd be happy to." Kozmotis chuckled, as he sipped on his tea.

The rest of the work on the shelf, was something that could be done without help from Tooth, so she went out to help in the tea shop. When the door was closed out to the shop, it felt oddly desolate when Kozmotis had no one but his own company, especially since the music from the radio in the tea shop couldn't be heard.

_'Ah well, I've managed that sort of thing before.'_ Kozmotis thought. After all, it wasn't as if there had been any radios on Qarali-7 when he had been stationed there and-

He paused. _Qara-whatnow?_ That couldn't be right... No, it had been...

"_Qal'eh-ye Now.*_" Kozmotis said out loud to himself, giving a slight snort of laughter. And there hadn't been a radio, because a dune walker had stepped on it-

Not a dune walker,_ a camel!_ God, he was really mucking about with his thoughts today.

"You got up to early, old man." Kozmotis said to himself. "And you've been watching too much sci-fi." That was the only explanation he had for now with the odd names for now. What else could it be?

Luckily, he didn't have to speculate more over it, as one of Toothiana's other sisters came out with a cup of tea for him.

* * *

A/N: * Qal'eh-ye Now is a village in Badghis Province in north western Afghanistan


	3. Chapter 3

Burgess had its share of colorful characters, and in the span of just the three years Kozmotis and Seraphina had lived there, they had gotten to know a couple of the more friendly ones.

Or most of them anyway.

E. Aster Bunnymund was one of the few people, next to Tooth's sister Lakhi, who had apparently made the decision at once, that he did not like Kozmotis for some reason. And while Kozmotis couldn't figure out why, as he certainly couldn't remember ever having done anything to offend the man, he eventually decided that you couldn't make friends with everyone, and simply ignored whatever nasty glares he felt coming in his direction whenever he went outside, and Bunnymund was tending to his garden or greenhouse.

It was an entirely different story however, when it came to his two other neighbours.

First, there was Sanderson Mansnoozie. He was a childrens author and illustrator, and had won a couple of awards for his works. In his own sign language, he had told Kozmotis of how he had moved to Burgess years ago, specifically after an accident that had robbed him of his voice. A nerve damage to his upper spine, he had explained. His vocalchords were fine, but his brain simply couldn't remember how to speak. It didn't really matter though, he then added when Kozmotis expressed his sympathies. He didn't need his voice in order to write and paint.

And then there was Nicholas St. North. A mountain of an enormous Russian, he was loud and boisterous to the point where Kozmotis almost felt half deaf and completely disoriented, after North gave them a very warm welcome to the neighbourhood on one of their first days in Burgess, much to Seraphinas amusement.

North was a retired toymaker, though as he liked to say, you never really retired from doing something you loved. This, as Kozmotis had learned quickly in their first year, included participating in the bigger Christmas event, where North dressed up as a perfect figure of Santa Claus. If anything, with his kind and warm demeanor, Nicholas St. North was one of the best men for the job, as he always made certain to include some of his own hand-made toys among the other presents, that were handed out to the different families at the event.

It had a big influence on how Koz and Sera came to see Burgess as their home. Especially since North practically "adopted" them both, and in this way got them more involved with the neighbourhood community.

This was also how the Pitchiners eventually had been introduced to Toothiana and her sisters, and of course Jackson Overland Frost.

Jack was apparently a nephew of some sort to North, or he had been randomly adopted by the burly Russian. Neither North or Jack never really clarified, but Kozmotis had come to trust North's instinct, so he decided to trust Jack as well. He was a bright kid, who did well at school, and he and Seraphina got along like a house on fire. Kozmotis figured he should probably have gone into some kind of protective mode, but as he told Tooth, when she asked later for some reason, he knew that Sera could take of herself. She was wise beyond her years in a way that sometimes made Koz nervous, but Jack had proven early that he had a way of keeping his feet on the ground (and that was despite his flighty attitude). And he knew how to make Sera laugh, which was a huge achievement, considering how serious she was for a girl her age.

It made a lot of things easier, such as getting used to the thought of not having to move, based on the whim of the military. And while Jack's questions about Koz' military career sometimes bordered on the intrusive, Kozmotis felt like he could get along with the boy, just as well as his daughter.

"So why did you leave the army?" Jack asked one evening, while staying over to do homework. "'Phina says you had an accident?"

Kozmotis snorted at that. "In the abridged version, I suppose you could call it that." He said, "though I'm not sure you'd want to hear the full story." He smirked a bit at that. "Might give you nightmares."

"Oh now I _know_ I gotta hear this story!" Jack retorted with a grin. "So spill the beans, old man! What happened?"

Kozmotis opened his mouth to respond... And then he paused, frowning slightly.

"I... That's... That's odd." He said slowly, just as Seraphina came in with a tray of snacks.

"What's odd?" She asked.

"...Sera, do you remember how I got discharged?" Her father asked, looking to his daughter with a bewildered expression. "It's strange, but I just don't remember. Even though I know I should!"

"What brought this on?" She asked, raising a brow.

"That... Would be me." Jack said hesitantly, looking worried. "I was just curious about how he'd gotten injured, but I had no idea this would happen!"

Seraphina gave Jack a long searching look, before she slowly shook her head, before looking to her father. "I was never told the full details... I only know they said you were caught in a blast from a missile, while you were visiting that base in Iraq for inspection. The doctors told me, that they worked on you for what felt like forever, and they were close to losing you, because the shrapnel was so close to your heart." She scowled, shaking her head in distaste.

"I was so angry... Because you had promised to stay safe, and I felt like you had broken that promise."

Kozmotis, still frowning, nodded slowly. "...I think I remember now. Or some bits, at least." He said slowly, before he gave Jack a crooked smile. "She didn't talk to me for what felt like forever, when I finally came back home. The discharge order helped a bit, I think."

Jack snorted at that, "I can certainly imagine! You can be rather brutal, 'Phina."

"Oh hush!" Sera retorted, blowing a raspberry at Jack, before she threw a cookie at his head. Jack laughed, and threw his eraser at her in response, which she managed to dodge, before she quickly set the tray down on a nearby table and chased after him, when he took off running.

If either of them noticed Kozmotis' thoughtful frown, as he tried to digest the little information he'd gotten from this conversation, they chose not to comment on it.

-

_He stood on the deck of the Tsar couples once proud vessel, with the fearlings and Dream Pirates cackling around him. Soon, he would achieve his goal. He would finally-_

"No."

_He frowned, looking to the source of the voice. Instead of the Tsar and Tsarina, trapped in the grasp of his loyal shadows, there stood a familiar looking young woman in a billowing green gown, frowning at him sternly._

_Much to his own surprise, the shadows __**growled**__ at her. The woman ignored them however, just as a small, golden figure appeared next to her, the light that surrounded it both warm and blinding... Around him, the shadows shrieked in rage, forced to flee from the light._

_He hissed, raising his arms to shield his eyes. Gentle, cool hands touched them, feeling gentle and soothing while a woman's voice that didn't belong to the green-clad newcomer spoke to him, and when he lowered his arms to look at the owner of the voice, he could have sworn that he was looking into Toothiana's warm, violet eyes._

_"Dream..." She whispered gently._

But I already am,_ he wanted to say. Instead, he sighed softly, and sank back into the warm darkness that he had been pulled from._


	4. Chapter 4

Aside from being the occasional handyman, Kozmotis spent a lot of his time with writing books on Military history, which included both the American as well as the assorted branches of European military. The good thing about Burgess, was how it had just about everything, which included a publisher, who Kozmotis would meet with when it came to his books.

Of course, convenience wasn't everything. And sometimes Kozmotis found himself wishing that something would happen, so that he had an excuse to get out of town for a bit.

He figured it was partially old habit that kept him wanting to go, while partial guilt kept him from asking Sera if they should go somewhere. They had moved from place to place when she was little, and she was finally feeling settled after moving to Burgess for school. And then there had been that talk the other day about his discharge. He had forgotten how much that had rattled her, because of how said discharge had happened. She was hopefully not too hard on Jack for having asked about it. Poor kid had only been curious, after all.

But still, it didn't hurt to just look at things like travel websites, right?

He sometimes wished he could talk about it with his neighbours, but he wasn't certain they would understand. North had talked about travelling a lot in his youth, but having lost the urge as he got older. And Sanderson was too comfortable with just staying where he was, being completely fine with the comforts of easy access to his own publisher, and the print shop, which took care of the occasional prints he would send to magazines out of town.

_'Let's not get started on poor Jack.'_ Kozmotis thought with amusement, _'he might like the idea, but he's still in hot water with Sera.'_

Really though, he'd just been curious, so what harm were his questions? It had after all only been about Kozmotis, and yet Seraphina was acting as if Jack had offended her personally, which was very unnecessary.

When he told her that, Sera looked honestly surprised, as if she hadn't thought about it. Unsurprisingly, she also raised her chin stubbornly.

"He still shouldn't have asked!" She said harshly, before her father snorted and pulled her close in a hug.

"Yes yes, he shouldn't have asked, and _you_ shouldn't rile yourself up like this. You're too young to be worrying about your blood pressure." And then without warning, he blew a raspberry against her neck, earning a startled _shriek_ and a smack on the arm when she yanked away from him.

"Dad, are you _**five?**_" she exclaimed, only to have her father grinning at her.

"No I am not, and neither are you. So stop holding a grudge like one!"

Sera scowled, but a few days later, she had allowed Jack back into her good graces, and brought him home with her for a study session.

-

"Hey Tooth?"

"Hmm?"

"Have you ever thought about going on a trip?"

They were in the Punjam Hy Loo Teashop, having just finished setting up the shelves, after they had been decorated and painted properly with help from North. And now Kozmotis was relaxing with a cup of tea, while Toothiana was wandering around and tending to small things, such as wiping down the tables around the shop.

Tooth straightened up in surprise at the question, raising a brow at the other. "Well... I guess? I think everyone does that once in a while..." She said slowly. "Why do you ask?"

Kozmotis shrugged, as he absently fiddled with a random napkin. "Nothing special... I've just been thinking about it. I mean, it's one thing when you're being deployed somewhere, or you're just generally moving because of your job in the military. This... this is different, you know?"

"How so?"

"I'm not sure how to explain it..." He sighed, before sipping his tea. "I mean... I don't really think Sera and I ever really had anything you could remotely call vacation. We never went somewhere just for the sights. And it's something I kind of want to do now. It's different, when you don't have to worry about things, like hiring a moving truck, or figuring out if there's furniture you can bring or you have to leave behind... Does that make sense?"

Tooth was silent for a while, as if thinking for a moment. But then she nodded. "I think I know what you mean. I mean... I've never really gone anywhere either."

"Oh?" Kozmotis raised a brow curiously.

"I know, I know..." Tooth said with a snort, as she sat down on a stool next to him. "'All work and no play,' as Jack says sometimes. But I grew up in the Teashop, the oldest of all my siblings. I remember that my dad traveled around a lot for his own job, while mom would mind the shop with her own two sisters most of the time, and sometimes she'd go with dad."

Tooth sighed, looking towards a large poster that hung on a nearby wall, advertising for a trip to Goa in India. "They would always have all these stories, about places they'd seen, or things they'd heard... And I remember wishing so badly, that they would take us all along. But they wanted to wait until my sisters and I were old enough, or at least until I was 21, before we should go anywhere." She snorted a bit. "One of my aunts used to call their trips for _'another honeymoon'_, because most of us were conceived on all those trips, including Lakhi. They went to a place called Lakhi Nepali, and that's apparently where my mother got pregnant with her... so they figured 'yeah, why not name her after that?'" They both chuckled at that, though Kozmotis made no other comment, other than silently motioning for Tooth to continue.

"But that was the last big trip they got to go on..." She then said, frowning sadly. "We were all going to go on a big trip, when Lakhi was old enough to handle flights. But that's when the accident happened... And then it was just me with all my sisters left with the teashop, and just my two aunts to help out, at least until one of them went back to India to get married, and the other passed away... And here we are now." Tooth shook her head. "I'm sorry for just... rambling at you like that. Taking care of the teashop has just taken up all my time... I didn't even think about how I've never really had a vacation either, until you mentioned it. And the whole thing with my parents just came back to me and... I think I just had to get it out."

"I don't mind..." Kozmotis replied gently. "I like hearing things about you, even if it's just complete random ramblings like this."

Tooth snorted and blushed a bit, but still smiled a bit. "Thanks..." She sighed.

"If you could travel though..." He then asked thoughtfully, "where would you like to go?"

She blinked, then hummed in thought as she pondered the question.

"Well... My mother always told me that somewhere in India, there are the ruins of an old palace called Punjam Hy Loo, which the teashop was named after." She finally said, almost shyly. "She had so many stories about it, that... it always felt like it was another home. And I've always wanted to see if it felt like that, especially since I have never really been to India."

The other just nodded with a slight smile.

"It sounds beautiful." He agreed.

-

It had gotten much later than he had planned, as Kozmotis headed home, first from talking with Tooth, and then going to talk with his publisher, which had dragged out because the cover for Kozmotis' next book just didn't fit. If anything, Kozmotis had disliked the initial ideas, because the designer couldn't seem to do proper research to save his life, and since Kozmotis' books were based on actual history and not fictional, would it really be so hard to investigate proper Cossack uniforms from the 18th century? It had drawn out until it was very late, and everyone else had gone home, and they had eventually decided that the cover would be changed the way Kozmotis wanted it. Mostly because it was his book, so he had the final say.

If anything, Kozmotis thought, he could be glad that things were getting lighter, as spring turned to summer. The days were much longer, so while it was relatively late, there was still plenty of light.

Which was why it was still such a shock to Kozmotis, when the horse suddenly appeared as he turned the next corner.

It was huge, and for a moment, it could almost be mistaken for a Friesian. _But no_, Kozmotis found himself thinking, _it's not._ It was something else entirely... something that felt _off._

At first, he thought about just going around it. It wasn't doing anything, except moving its head ever so slightly while watching him. But still... there was something about it that just... made him want to go closer to it.

"Easy... Easy, girl..." He found himself saying, though he was a bit glad that no one else was around, or else he might have felt stupid. "Easy... I'm not going to hurt you."

The horse, so beautifully black, it almost seemed to shimmer in the twilight. And its eyes... when had there ever been a horse with such beautiful, golden eyes? It snorted softly as Kozmotis came closer, stretching out its own neck as he reached out to touch its muzzle-

And there was suddenly a sharp _**'beep beep!'**_ that nearly made Kozmotis jump out of his skin. He spun around, only to find himself face to face with Sanderson, seated on a bright yellow scooter. The smaller man smiled, signing to Kozmotis to ask him if he was okay.

"I'm- I'm fine, you just startled me!" The other replied with a slight huff. "It's just, there's this horse-" he turned to look for the animal-

Only to find that it was gone. Kozmotis blinked in confusion, before he frowned.

"...That can't be right," he said slowly. "There was a horse... a big black one! Sandy, didn't you see it?"

The smaller man frowned, shaking his head, before he signed again. _'I'm sorry, but I didn't see a horse. You were just standing there, and that's it.'_ When Kozmotis gave him a disbelieving look, he just shook his head and signed again. _'Perhaps you are tired? Long day?' _

"...Yeah. Yeah that might be it." Kozmotis said slowly. "I just could have sworn..."

Sanderson gently tugged in his sleeve, so that he could see him sign. _'We always see weird things, if we're very tired. Want me to drive along with you? I'd offer a ride, but my scooter only fits one, I'm afraid.' _

The other snorted a bit. "Yeah, I don't think my long legs could fit. But sure, I'd like that." Sanderson smiled, and took a moment to kick his scooter properly into action, in order to turn it around.

For the faintest moment, Kozmotis thought that despite the racket from the scooter, he heard the sound of something, like dry leaves blowing across concrete. Or sand, being gently poured over rough stone. But when he looked back towards where the horse had been, there was still nothing. The sun itself had seemed to come out for a moment, leaving almost a golden sheen across the road.

_'You're just tired. It was just the shadows playing tricks on you.'_ Kozmotis thought, shaking his head, as he followed Sanderson who waited patiently for him.

-

_**"They are becoming more daring."**__ A woman's voice said. It was the woman clad in green, and she did not look happy._

_A giant rabbit was sitting with his arms crossed, scowling. __**"Yeah well, what can ya expect? With all his talkin' about travel when he's supposed t' be stayin' in Burgess. Tha' sort o' nonsense is untangling things."**_

_**"Would that be so bad though?"**__ A smaller woman said, and he could have sworn she looked familiar... __**"Having him go other places, I mean. Wouldn't it be better, if not more effective, for his mind if it was allowed to expand in some way?"**_

_A boy in a blue hoodie was watching things silently, before he shook his head. __**"I'm kind of with Tooth. I mean, if I couldn't get around, I'd probably go stir crazy."**_

_**"No. Burgess is where he fell, and so that is where he shall heal."**__ The emerald clad woman said sternly. __**"It is the only way the healing magic will work."**__ She narrowed her eyes, before looking hard at the rabbit. __**"It will also only work, if all of the Guardians are with him, rather than against him!"**_

_**"Wha- you can't be serious!"**__ The rabbit squawked indignantly. __**"I want nothin' to do with him!"**_

_**"You will, if he is to heal properly. Remember, Eucephalus Aster Bunnymund, you are one of the reasons that this is necessary. And you will do as I command!"**_

_He wanted to say something. Wanted to object. He felt fine, so why would he need healing? And why-_

_**Why do you look like Seraphina?**__ He wanted to ask._

_But before he could try to speak, the familiar golden man came into his view. He made a soft 'shh' motion, and then gently blew a cloud of golden dust into his eyes._

_And all went dark once more._


	5. Chapter 5

When Kozmotis found himself awake at 4 am, he knew it was not going to be a good day. He had not slept well, still remembering faint traces of the dream (he wrote down what he could remember, just like Sanderson had suggested), and then... all he could do was lie in bed, the dream journal just tossed back carelessly on the nightstand.

He dozed off at some point, only to be awoken by the feeling of someone gently shaking his shoulder. Seraphina just smiled at him, when he opened his eyes and turned his head to look up at her.

"Rise and shine, Papa. Remember, you have to go to Miss Haroom's teashop, so you can finish those shelves. I gotta get to school, but I've brewed some coffee for you." Usually, Seraphina was good at noticing her fathers moods, but this was apparently not one of those times. Kozmotis sourly thought about how he didn't want to work on any damn shelves, but he said nothing as Seraphina left.

It felt like an almost painful effort to get out of bed, as if someone had chained him down with invisible stone weights. Everything felt too loud and bright, like he was suffering from a hangover, and he grumbled obscenities to himself as he tried to clean himself up, starting with a shower. One glower at his reflection afterward made him decide, that he could skip shaving for the day.

He shouldn't be heading out, really. He knew it, but he had also promised to finish those shelves, and he hated disappointing Toothiana. With a weary sigh, Kozmotis pulled himself together. The coffee was poured up in a thermos to take with him, not wanting to linger in the house for too long. When he was in this kind of mood, it always felt too big, too empty... and depending on if it was winter, or twilight, too dark. As if there were things lurking...

He shook his head irritably at himself, and grabbed a dry slice of bread to eat on the way, if only to have something in his stomach, for when he got to work. It wasn't much, but it would do, he was sure.

The Teashop was thankfully it's own, quiet self. Tooth and her sisters were getting ready to open up for the day, and when she caught sight of Kozmotis, the oldest of the Haroom family went to let him inside with a warm, welcoming smile.

"Good morning, Koz. I didn't expect you to show up so early?"

Kozmotis shrugged, managing to return the smile. "Well, Sera pretty much chased me out of bed, so I figured I might as well... I hope you don't mind that I brought coffee with me?" He held up the thermos, and Toothiana snorted with amusement.

"I don't mind at all. But if you run out, don't hesitate to tell me, and I'll brew up something for you." She beamed at that, "consider it part of your payment for helping with the shelves."

This time, he thought his own smile felt more genuine. "I appreciate that." He replied, though before he could stop himself, he had reached out and gently touched her cheek. "You make it all the more worth it."

He had no idea what had possessed him to say those exact words. The effect was not entirely unwanted though, as it made Toothiana blink several times, her cheeks flushing slightly. Kozmotis blinked at himself, then quickly pulled his hand back, giving an uncomfortable cough.

"I mean... you make it worth coming down here... I, I didn't sleep well, you see, and... It feels like it might be one of those days..."

Toothiana looked at him, before she nodded with a small smile.

"I understand. I'll keep the door to the shop closed, and tell the girls to use the other one, to get to the back. Just... let me know if something happens?"

It wasn't the first time, that she had seen Kozmotis on one of his bad days. And he was surprised that he hadn't frightened her off yet. But he still nodded.

"I will make sure of that."

There wasn't much left to do with the shelves, other than putting on the decorative panels that North had made for Tooth, and then moving it all out into the teasalon itself.

It was gratifying work, however, to just stand there and carefully concentrate on the hammer and the small nails, and Kozmotis was only glad for the distraction. It kept him from thinking too much about his dreams, and while he began to get tired, it was more because of the work than because of the emotional turmoil he sometimes experienced, when he was having an off day.

His mood, however, slowly seemed to degrade from bad to worse. And the sound of customers coming and adding to the noise level was beginning to grate on his nerves, especially when what sounded like a gaggle of younger people seemed to join the fray.

Kozmotis finally had to stop and drew in a deep breath, his nerves feeling irritably frayed. Had he been anyone else, he would-

_Bitescratchinfect make them see make them feel the feardarkcoldfrombetweenthestars..._

Kozmotis shuddered, grinding his teeth at the sudden, and rather unpleasant, train of thought, before he let out a frustrated groan and rubbed his eyes.

"Okay. Break time." He muttered. Perhaps a cup of tea and then a bit of peace out back would help. Worst case scenario, he would have to wait with the shelves another day, which he knew Toothiana would understand.

_Perhaps that was why he had been careful with most of her fai- sisters. Baby Tooth had been an exception, but then she had stabbed/bitten him. The others were different, had been caged/held back but never hurt..._

Kozmotis grimaced and shook his head. Definitely time for a break when his brain rambled nonsense at him like this...

He took a step back, and then paused, frowning in sudden confusion.

_Wait... We finished the shelves. Why am I making more?_

New realization in mind, and determined to ask Toothiana about it (they hadn't talked about it, of that he was certain), he opened the door to the shop and stepped out.

There weren't as many people as he initially thought. Just a few of what Kozmotis knew were regulars (Bunnymund among them today, he idly noticed) and a group of kids, consisting of two girls and four boys (two of them obviously twins), who were sitting in a corner of the shop, talking about homework. One of the girls, a rather burly individual, was wearing a red shirt with a dancing unicorn on the front.

"I thought I heard the clippety-clop of a unicorn..." Kozmotis muttered venomously under his breath, before he again paused to frown at himself. Judging from how the group had turned to look at him, they must have heard him..

_Good,_ a part of his mind snarled. _Let them __**hear,**__ let them __**see!**__ Let them learn what it means to-_

"Oy!" Kozmotis nearly jumped at the sudden voice and the hand that roughly grabbed his shoulder, and he was suddenly forced to turn around and found himself staring into Bunnymunds sharp, green eyes.

"What're ya playin' at, ya drongo?" The taller Australian growled. "If ya think fer one second-"

"_Bunny!_" Toothiana's voice snapped, and both males turned their heads to look at her, though Kozmotis felt like he was only going with the flow at this point, while a wave of sudden dizziness and nausea threatened to smother him-

He felt his knees buckle and thought he heard someone call out a name. But it wasn't one he recognized.

_Who's Pitch?_

All went dark.

_There are voices viciously arguing, but he can't see anyone, nor can he fully understand the voices. He recognizes them faintly as one being that of Bunnymund, the other the greenclad woman._

_"And what good will it do t' bring them into this mess?"_

_"A balance has to be kept," the woman snarls, "and you are failing at doing your part."_

_"Says she." Toothiana's voice murmurs darkly close to him. There is a sighing sound and what sounds like sand shifting around._

_Tooth responds with something, but he feels the dark drown his senses, only succeeding in catching one name before the darkness takes him again._

_Punjam Hy Loo._


	6. Chapter 6

When he woke up, he was in a hospital. It was light outside, but there were heavy curtains drawn in front of the window.  
Kozmotis squinted tiredly, trying to remember what had happened. The last he recalled was-

Punjam Hy Loo

No, that wasn't it. Was it?

"Oh, you're awake!" A voice said, and he looked up to find a nurse looking at him with a kind, concerned smile.

"You've been out for 24 hours, but your condition is stable." The nurse said, as she turned to leave. "I'll fetch the doctor so he can look at you-"

"Wait!" Kozmotis exclaimed, then grimaced and lowered his voice when the nurse raised a brow at him.

"I just... What happened? Why am I in the hospital?"

"Oh, of course you wouldn't know." The nurse replied, looking like she felt stupid. "You had a seizure."

He frowned at that, looking at his hands.

_Shelves... We already...'_He shook his head suddenly, recalling where he at least had been.

"The teashop..." He said slowly. "I was at the teashop."

"Yes, yes you were." The nurse said calmly. "And if it helps, the seizure wasn't anything serious. The doctor can tell you more." And with that she left, leaving Kozmotis to his own thoughts.

Kozmotis looked at his hands, narrowing his eyes.

"That was no seizure." He muttered darkly. He had no idea why, but he just knew something was very wrong.

The first to come see him, much to his surprise, was none other than Bunnymund. The Australian, usually so rough around the edges (not to mention hostile), was looking strangely withdrawn, almost as if he was trying to make himself look smaller.

"'M sorry if I sounded like I was jumpin' t' weird conclusions at th' teashop," he muttered, not meeting Kozmotis' gaze. "But you were actin' weird. If I'd known you were on th' brink of a seizure, I wouldn't 'ave been actin' like such a gumby…"

"To be honest, I didn't really know it myself." Kozmotis replied, "so if it helps, there aren't any hard feelings." He huffed in frustration. "Truth be told, I wasn't feeling like myself at all."

"PTSD will do that to ya…" Bunnymund agreed, "oughta know since I got it myself."

This made Kozmotis blink in surprise. "You were in the army?"

"Australian Army anyway," the other snorted. "Lt. Colonel o' the 9th Brigade. I've done my bit, but-" he tapped his upper thigh, "shrapnel t' the wrong parts c'n end things quickly."

"Don't I know it," Kozmotis muttered darkly in agreement. It felt so strange to have a casual conversation like this, and with Bunnymund of all people. If anything, he was the last person Kozmotis had ever expected to make friends with, especially considering the others' general attitude. But then, PTSD would explain it all-

Wait.

"How did you know about my PTSD?" Kozmotis asked at sudden with a frown. Bunnymund grimaced, rubbing awkwardly at his neck at that.

"Well… Tooth kinda yelled at me, when you collapsed. Dun think she really meant to tell it, but there ya have it."

"Ah." Well it wasn't as if he had made a secret out of it. On one hand, Kozmotis thought, it was strange that Seraphina wasn't the source of the information. After all, she spent plenty of time talking with Bunnymund now and then, but remembering how she had reacted just recently to Jack's questions…

He strangely enough didn't remember his daughter being that much of a private person. Especially considering how she and Bunnymund had seemed to get along otherwise, with her helping with the garden and all…

Before he could think further on it, however, a nurse and a doctor came in, with both of them informing Bunnymund politely that visiting hours were over. Bunnymund frowned, but didn't object. Instead, he threw a half-crooked smile at Kozmotis.

"I'll let the others know yer doin' better, mate." And with that, he simply left.

The doctor could inform Kozmotis, that the seizure had not been too dangerous, and since Kozmotis was recovering so well, he should be able to head home the very next day.

This did, once more, not sound quite right to Kozmotis. In fact, there were plenty of things that were _'off'_, and there was only one way to find out for certain.

"What about medicine?" Kozmotis asked innocently, "I mean, I wouldn't want it to happen again. What if the seizure was in relation to some kind of epileptic fit?"

The doctor honestly looked befuddled for a few moments, before he simply grinned. "There is no real need for that, General. You're a strong and healthy individual, so I am certain you'll be just fine."

It took all of Kozmotis' willpower to not simply grab the man and shake him and scream at him that this was NOT how a hospital was supposed to function. That, and the confusion of being called _'General'_.

"I'll keep that in mind. Thank you, Doctor." He said instead.

Seraphina came to pick him up, along with North the next day. The older male had brought his massive van, and the first thing he did when Kozmotis came out of the hospital entrance was to pull him into a strong embrace, that felt like it threatened to pop a few bones out of their joints.

"You gave us all a terrible fright!" North exclaimed, ruffling the other man's hair as if he was a school boy. "Though I think Sera and Toothy were the most spooked!"

"I'm sorry about that…" Kozmotis started, as he was released by North, right before he was hugged tight by Seraphina.

"No… I'm the one who's sorry." She sniffled unhappily, "I should have known better than to make you go to Tooth's place, when you obviously weren't feeling well. I'm really sorry, daddy…."

"It's alright, sweetie." Kozmotis said quietly, running his fingers through her hair. "I'm better now. The doctor told me I just needed to make sure not to overdo things, and to get some rest, and I'll be fine." He gave a wry smirk at that.

"Good thing your old man isn't the army anymore, huh?"

Seraphina just nodded, hiding her face in his chest. She eventually untangled herself long enough for them all to get into the van, naturally with North in the driver's seat. Kozmotis found himself sitting in the middle, weirdly enough facing a weird bobbleheaded reindeer that was moving its head up and downm, while glued to the dashboard.

"So, where to? Straight home, or do you wish to go somewhere else first?" North asked, as he started up the van. The bobblehead reindeer gave a hard jerk at that. It was such a weird thing to notice, Kozmotis thought for a moment. He'd never thought about the reindeer before, and yet here it was.

It made him think of the strange conversation with the doctor and nurse. Of how there were things that weren't adding up.

"Home of course." Seraphina said first, but paused when Kozmotis shook his head.

"Actually, I'd like to go to Punjam Hy Loo first. I need to talk with Toothiana about something. I mean, since I passed out in her teashop and all, I figured she would like to know I was feeling better." He added, raising a brow at Seraphina, "I mean, Bunnymund said he was going to talk to her, but I'd rather talk to her myself."

As the van moved out from the hospital's parking lot, Kozmotis sat back as they drove, thinking. Seraphina was quietly sitting next to him, fiddling with a bit of her forelock, seemingly frowning in concentration as she did so.

Strangely, as Kozmotis looked at her reflection in the glass of the front window, he couldn't help but think how strangely cold and distant she looked.

_It was snowing, and it was bitterly cold, and while he was never bothered by cold anymore, this one was different. It was biting and gnawing in a way cold wasn't meant to be, even in the deepest of space where the Fearlings had been born… And there she stood, standing tall and cold and regal, so very old yet so very young, her expression like stone…_

"Papa? Is something wrong?" Seraphina's voice broke him out of his thoughts and Kozmotis frowned.

"No sweetie, I'm fine. Just thinking about what I'm going to say to Tooth."

"That reminds me!" North suddenly exclaimed, as he turned the van to take them down a nearby street; "Toothy wanted me to tell you, that she will possibly be a bit busy in the coming days. She has decided to hire a new girl for the teashop, and is going to have her start training today."

Kozmotis' brows rose at that. "A new girl? She didn't say anything about that to me."

North shrugged. "Well, she had not quite decided yet, if it was something for certain. But the new girl showed promise, so she didn't see a reason to not give her a chance."

"Huh. Curious." The other replied thoughtfully. "What's this new girl's name?"

"Her name," North said, as if he was making a grand presentation for a new toy, "is Katherine Shalazar!"

The name struck a chord in some way, and Kozmotis frowned. "… Katherine Shalazar…?" He said slowly.

"I think you've told about her before," Seraphina said thoughtfully. "Didn't you say that someone else was moving in on the street, in the house next to Sandy's?"

Her voice, Kozmotis thought with a frown. Why does her voice sound so strange?

"_Da!_" North replied with a laugh, as he finally pulled up to the Punjam Hy Loo teashop. "She and her partner are moving in there. Will be exciting to meet them, I think. Might even have celebration, if they are inclined to it."

"You and your celebrations, North." Seraphina chuckled in exasperated fondness, before she got out of the van. Kozmotis followed, looking after her as he did so.

_Something is wrong_, he thought to himself. _She hasn't even met this girl… and yet I am fairly certain that she hates her. But why?_


	7. Chapter 7

Katherine Shalazar was in the start of her twenties. She was petite and clad in warm, yellow colors that made her look quite healthy and happy, and she was rather polite, as Toothiana happily introduced her to Kozmotis and Seraphina.

"She applied a few days ago," the tea shop owner said chipperly, "and she has picked up working here as easily as a duck learns to swim!"

"I'm very glad to hear that." Kozmotis replied with a warm smile, as he politely offered his hand in greeting to the young woman. "It's a pleasure to meet you, miss Shalazar."

"Please, call me Katherine." She replied warmly, accepting his greeting by taking his hand and squeezing it lightly. "I'm really looking forward to working here. Punjam Hy Loo seems like a really nice place to be!"

"It is at least, when it don't have people faintin' all over the place." Bunnymund muttered only slightly under his breath, and then _'oofed'_ when Nicholas gave him an elbow in the side. At Katherine's confused look, Kozmotis grimaced slightly in embarrassment.

"I… had a bit of an episode here about a week ago," he said. "Doctors tell me it was a seizure. Nothing too serious, but I need to take it easy."

"Which is why we should be heading home, instead of being here." Seraphina cut in a bit sharply, wrapping her arm around Kozmotis' arm.

Kozmotis was about to say something, but for some reason he was finding himself tongue tied, specifically by the warmth he felt from Katherine's palm in his hand…

_\- He is so close, so **CLOSE**, just one more move and he would finally win over the Cossack and the thrice-damned Pooka._

_His Fearlings screech as there is an explosion of light, and the Glow Worm and the Goose Girl suddenly comes flying towards him, with Nightlight wielding his diamond dagger, the point seemingly aimed at Pitch's heart-_

_But they stop the last moment, and he finds himself unable to attack, especially when Katherine raises her hand to reveal-_

"Papa?" Seraphina was calling, shaking his arm slightly, and Kozmotis blinked several times, before he realized everyone was watching him and Katherine, and he was holding her hand in a near death grip. With a flush rising in his cheeks, he quickly released her, before brushing his fingers against his own forehead.

"Uh- I- … Sorry about that. I only just got out of the hospital today, and I'm still a bit out of it."

"It's quite alright." Katherine said kindly. "Hopefully, we will meet again at a time when you are feeling better."

Kozmotis responded with a faint, tired smile, as he and Seraphina finally turn to leave the tea shop.

"Yes… That would be nice."

–-

The ride home was short and strangely awkward. North tried to make conversation with Kozmotis about Katherine, telling him about how Katherine was married young with a beau named Nathan, and they had moved into the house that was right on the other side of the street.

"Is only about time, yes?" North asked in a rumbling chuckle. "Been empty for a long time, that house. Needed some light."

Kozmotis made an absent noise of agreement, but that was about it. He was watching Seraphina, who had been silent for the whole ride, and when North pointed out the house as he pulled up to their home, Seraphina glared towards it, as though she wanted to set it on fire.

"Thanks for the ride, North." Kozmotis told North in the meantime, "I'll see you later, hopefully."

"I will check up on you later tonight." North agreed, before he with a wave began to drive off, turning the van around and driving back towards town.

Seraphina set off herself, heading inside while Kozmotis stayed outside a bit longer. The air was fresh and cool, and he wanted to take a moment to enjoy the fresh scent told him how it spring was slowly ebbing towards summer. He drew in a deep breath and let it out in a soft sigh, before he headed inside himself, and frowned he saw how Seraphina was in the progress of making tea.

It wasn't so much that she was making tea in the first place. It was the angry movements that she made, as she got a teabag and a tin of earl grey. The only times she did it, was when she was in a rather bad mood, and Kozmotis had a good idea about what the source was. But he just couldn't understand why.

"Alright, spill the beans." He said, crossing his arms. When Seraphina lifted her head to look at him with a frown, he just raised a brow.

"You really don't like Katherine Shalazar for some reason. You don't like her for some reason. And I want to know why."

"It's not her." She muttered a little too quickly, but her voice was so cross that it made Kozmotis grimace slightly.

"Sera-"

"It's **NOT!**" Seraphina barked. "She has **_NOTHING_** to do with _**ANYTHING! MAYBE**_ I am just a little _annoyed_, because you felt it was necessary to go down to that _**STUPID**_ teashop, where you had a frikkin' _**STROKE**_ only a week ago!"

Kozmotis frowned, crossing his arms as he looked at his daughter. "First of all," He said patiently, "it wasn't a stroke. Second-"

"The doctors sai-"

_"The doctors didn't know what they were going on about."_ Kozmotis retorted a tad sharply. "Had it really been a stroke, it would not have been possible for me to recover this quickly. Second!" He continued with a raised finger, keeping Seraphina from cutting him off, "I wanted to assure Toothiana that it was not her fault. That Miss Shalazar was starting just that day, was just a coincidence. And _furthermore!_" He raised his hand in a warning gesture, narrowing his eyes at Seraphina as he did so.

"I will not have you take that tone with me, young lady. Not with me, not with anyone! I don't know what kind of beef you seem to be having with that girl, but it is foolish to carry a grudge against someone you barely know." He scoffed, crossing his arms. "It doesn't get anyone anywhere, especially if she has never done a thing to you!"

"_**YOU**_ once tried-" Seraphina started, but cut herself off this time, scowling. Rather than continue however, she suddenly stormed off, slamming the door to the kitchen hard behind her. While this happened, the kettle began to let out a long, keening note, signaling that it was finished. Kozmotis sighed, before he moved to take the kettle from the heat and poured the hot water up in the teapot.

His daughter honestly had the most horrific temper tantrums for no reasons whatsoever sometimes, he thought. Like the one time when she had tried to go sailing in her schooner, and had thrown a fit when her mother had stopped her before she could go anywhere.

Kozmotis paused and frowned… When had he taught her to go sailing in a schooner?

He sighed, rubbing his temples as he went to finish making the tea, though he went to grab a travel mug, so that he could go for a walk while drinking the tea. He needed some fresh air, and he was not going to get a single word out of Sera when she was riled up like this.

—–

He walked, thinking over everything strange that had happened lately. The strange sense of memory loss, the dreams, everyone's behavior, not to mention the black horse. And now Seraphina's strange behavior, along with his so-called 'seizure'.

Everything about it just felt and sounded wrong, and Kozmotis shook his head in frustration as he thought about it. He couldn't remember the last time he had ever come across any doctor or nurse so bloody incompetent, as if they had only learned about certain words or illnesses through overhearing things, not by practicing it themselves.

"Kozmotis? What are you doing here?" A voice asked, jarring Kozmotis out of his train of thoughts. He looked up in surprise, first at her, then up at the sign of the Punjam Hy Loo tea shop. And then he looked back at her, feeling strangely helpless.

Toothiana gave him a small, but comforting smile.

"You look like you could use someone to talk to." She said gently.

Half an hour later, they were settled in Toothiana's small, but comfortable kitchen, where a fresh pot of tea had now been made. All the while, Kozmotis had been sitting quietly, trying to think about what to say, while Toothiana had puttered around quietly.

"… I feel like something is wrong." He finally said, after Toothiana had poured some tea up for him in a cup. "I don't know how to explain it." He frowned, looking down into his cup, where the bit of milk Tooth had poured in swirled about in lazy circles.

"Try?" Tooth asked gently.

So he told her, starting from the beginning with the strange dreams. He was just in the middle of telling her about the latest one, when he paused and frowned, looking out of the window.

Outside was the black horse, looking in at them through the nearest window with its golden eyes.

"Kozmotis?" Tooth asked, frowning when she saw his expression. "Is something wrong?"

He didn't answer. All he could think of was to watch the black horse, that just stood there, watching him. Then it gave a soft snort, and pulled away from the window, disappearing in the dark.

"Did you see that?" Kozmotis finally asked, when a few minutes had passed. Tooth frowned, but then slowly shook her head in response. He grimaced, looking back down at his cup of tea.

"… Guess I'm really going crazy then." He finally muttered.

Tooth reached over, gently placing her hand over one of his.

"Koz… what did you see?"

He drew in a deep breath, and let it out slowly.

"One of the things I've been experiencing." He then said quietly. "A black horse, with gold eyes. It disappeared last time, but this time it just… walked away." He frowned, before looking up slowly at her.

"… And it's not the only thing that's been going on, that's been worrying me."

Toothiana looked at him, but then took his hand into both of her own, and he couldn't help but notice how small her hands were compared to his. And so warm as well.

"Tell me." She told him sincerely. "I won't judge."

He gave her a searching look, but saw nothing but clear worry in her eyes.

So he told her, starting again from the beginning with the strange dreams, and after what might possibly have been hours, finishing with his stay at the hospital.

"Something is sincerely wrong, Tooth." Kozmotis finished, grimacing in worry. "It… It feels as though there is something wrong… Not with me, but with the world itself! I'm worried that something might happen, where one day I might be minding my own business… And then all I have to do is turn around, and the whole world has fallen apart!"

"And the worst part..." He added quietly, pulling away his hands from Tooth's to clench them tightly in frustration, "is that I feel as if it has happened before!"

She only looked at him, her eyes warm and gentle, and so strangely understanding. She didn't speak, but instead got up, and walked around the table and over to him, before she gently wrapped her arms around his shoulders and embraced him.

"I'm here." She murmured gently. "Even if the world does break apart. Know that I'm here for you."

Kozmotis swallowed dryly, leaning into the embrace. "Thank you." He murmured weakly, before he finally reached up and carefully wrapped his arms around Tooth, returning her embrace.

They eventually pulled away from each other. It was getting late, and Kozmotis needed to get back home to Seraphina. Her behavior around Katherine worried him and he told Tooth as much.

She didn't try to make any false-sounding assurances. She understood his worry completely, and simply offered to drive him home.

-

Kozmotis woke up in his own bed the next morning. He remembered briefly that Tooth had given him a ride home, and he had said goodbye to her with the promise of meeting with her at the teashop, once he'd had some sleep.

And with that in mind, he had gone to bed, though for once in a long time, he must have been more tired than he thought, because if he had dreamed, he didn't remember doing so.

Kozmotis turned his head to look at his alarm clock and sighed when he saw that it would be half an hour before the alarm itself would go off.

He turned the alarm clock off, and then went back to sleep, not caring if he dreamed or not.

_The black horses surround him, but they do not try to bite or snap or kick. They are obeying his every whim, and he laughs as he is in full control. He grins, silently commanding them out to do his bidding, and they fulfill his wishes, thundering hooves running into the night._

_It is a beautiful sight, to watch them running free like this, and a part of him wishes that it could always be like this. Just him, and the Nightmares, not just outright spreading fear, but just being there, running through the night, strong and many and alive!_

_In his dreams, the moon is not looking at him with disapproval. There is balance. There is peace._

_And they are all by his side, not against him, but with him. And most of all, she is with him, her violet eyes warm in the glow of the approving moon._

_All is well._  
-

"Thank you Sandy. I know you are risking a lot by doing this."

The Sandman smiled tiredly at Tooth and shook his head slowly. It wasn't a problem. Weaving a dream into another dream was no hard task, despite how exhausted he was. He just hoped that her plan would work.

"I don't know if it will." The Memory Guardian admitted quietly. "But we have to try." She grimaced, looking towards the Dream Sand sphere, that Pitch was encased in.

Any injuries that the Boogeyman had sustained from the Nightmares, as well as the Easter Battle, had all healed over by now. Somehow, through the nourishing magic that Mother Nature had provided, his body had even grown a bit more fat. His body was as strong and healthy as they could come, after almost three years of the magically induced coma he was in.

It was the state of his mind that Tooth was worried about.


End file.
